Commentary - Ezekiel 40:24-27

Bird's-eye view

In these verses, the prophet Ezekiel is being led by his angelic guide on a meticulous tour of a new, glorified temple. This is not a blueprint for a future stone-and-mortar building in Jerusalem. To read it that way is to miss the forest for the trees, and rather glorious trees at that. This temple is the Christian Church, the new humanity in Christ, and these architectural details are a revelation of her nature, her order, and her beauty. The vision is given to a prophet in exile, ministering to a people whose temple was a ruin. God is showing him, and us, that the true temple cannot be destroyed by Babylonians or Romans because it is a spiritual house, built with living stones. The south gate, like the others, is a picture of how people enter into the life of God's covenant people. The measurements, the steps, the decorations, all of it is theological poetry. It speaks of symmetry, stability, sanctification, and the fruitful life that is found within the courts of the Lord's house, which is the Church of the living God.

The repeated measurements emphasize that God is a God of order, not chaos. His Church is not a haphazard assembly; it is a divinely designed structure. The ascent into the courts signifies the holiness of God and the moral and spiritual elevation required to approach Him, an ascent made possible only through Christ. The palm trees are symbols of righteousness and victory. This entire vision is a massive dose of encouragement, promising that God's presence will not be confined to a single building in Palestine, but will be embodied in a global community, a temple whose gates are open to the north, east, and south for the gathering of the nations.

Outline

Context In Ezekiel

Ezekiel 40 marks a dramatic shift in the book. The first 32 chapters are largely focused on the covenant lawsuit against Israel and Judah, pronouncing judgment for their idolatry and rebellion, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the first temple. Chapters 33-39 provide a transition, promising restoration, the defeat of God's enemies (Gog and Magog), and the promise of a new heart and a new spirit. Then, in chapter 40, the prophet is transported in a vision to a high mountain in Israel and is shown a glorious new temple. This final section of the book (chapters 40-48) is a detailed depiction of this temple, the priesthood that serves it, the worship that takes place there, and the river of life that flows from it to heal the nations. This is the great eucatastrophe of the book. After the judgment comes the glory. The key to understanding this section is to let the New Testament be our guide. The book of Revelation, which is in many ways a Christian rewriting of Ezekiel, makes it clear that the new Jerusalem and its temple are the Bride of Christ, the Church. Ezekiel's vision is therefore not about a literal rebuilding project, but a prophetic vision of the new covenant order established by Jesus Christ.

Key Issues

God's Glorious Geometry

When we read through these chapters in Ezekiel, it is easy for our eyes to glaze over. Cubits and pillars and porches, oh my. But we must resist the temptation to treat this as a tedious architectural specification. This is theology given to us in the language of geometry. God is the great Architect, and His designs are never arbitrary. The precision of the measurements, repeated for each gate, is meant to communicate something profound. It tells us that God's plan of salvation is not an afterthought or an improvisation. It is exact. It is symmetrical. It is stable and secure. The Church of Jesus Christ is not a ramshackle affair thrown together at the last minute. It is a house built according to a divine blueprint, with every dimension perfectly calibrated by the wisdom of God.

Furthermore, the fact that the gates on the north, east, and south are identical in their measurements signifies the universal nature of the gospel's invitation. The way into God's presence is the same for every tribe and tongue and nation. There are not different standards of entry for different kinds of people. The gate is Christ, and the dimensions of His grace are consistent and reliable, whether you approach from the frozen north or the warm south. This is a vision of catholicity, of a universal Church whose doors are measured and true.

Verse by Verse Commentary

24 Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate toward the south; and he measured its side pillars and its porches according to those same measurements.

The tour continues. Having seen the gates on the east and the north, Ezekiel is now shown the south gate. The crucial phrase here is according to those same measurements. This is a drumbeat throughout the chapter. God is building His house with consistency and order. The way in is the same, regardless of the direction from which you come. This is a profound gospel truth. There is one way of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The Church is not a place of boutique spiritualities, where everyone gets to design their own entrance. The pillars and porches are measured by God's standard, not man's. The pillars speak of stability, and the porches are places of transition and welcome. To enter the Church is to come into a place of divine stability, a house built on the rock.

25 The gate and its porches had windows all around like those other windows; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits.

The presence of windows is significant. A fortress might have arrow slits, but a temple, a house of God's people, has windows. Windows are for light. They let the light in, and they let the light out. The Church is to be a place filled with the light of God's truth, and it is to shine that light out into a dark world. These are not hidden, secret societies; they are cities on a hill. The measurements are given again: fifty by twenty-five cubits. The proportions matter. The length is double the width, a 2:1 ratio, suggesting a pleasing and intentional design. This is not just functional; it is beautiful. God's house is a place of aesthetic and theological order. It is a place where everything fits together in perfect harmony.

26 There were seven steps going up to it, and its porches were in front of them; and it had palm tree ornaments on its side pillars, one on each side.

Here we have two more crucial symbolic details. First, the entrance is elevated. You have to ascend seven steps to get to the gate. The number seven in Scripture is consistently the number of completion and perfection. This ascent signifies a separation from the common and profane world outside. Entering into the covenant community is an elevation; it is a process of sanctification. You are leaving the flatlands of rebellion and climbing toward the holy presence of God. Second, the pillars are adorned with palm tree ornaments. In the Bible, the palm tree is a symbol of righteousness, fruitfulness, and victory (Psalm 92:12). When the righteous flourish, they are like palm trees. When Christ entered Jerusalem, the crowds waved palm branches, hailing Him as the victorious king. So, the very entrance to God's house is marked with the emblems of the righteous life and the victory that Christ has won. You enter this place to become a flourishing palm tree, standing tall and fruitful in the courts of our God.

27 The inner court had a gate toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, one hundred cubits.

After describing the outer gate, the vision immediately points inward, toward the next level of holiness. There is another gate, the gate to the inner court, directly in line with the outer one. The distance between them is a hundred cubits. This creates a large, open courtyard, a space for the people of God to gather. The structure of the temple, with its concentric courts, teaches us about the holiness of God. As you move closer to the central sanctuary, the requirements for access become stricter. But it also shows a clear and measured path. There is a way forward, a way deeper into the life of God. The hundred cubits, a nice round number (ten times ten), gives a sense of spaciousness and grandeur. This is no cramped and tiny religion. The courts of the Lord are broad and wide, with plenty of room for the great multitude that no man can number.

Application

So what does a south gate in a visionary temple have to do with us? Everything. We are that temple. This passage is a description of the true Church, and it should cause us to examine the church we are building, and the local church we are a part of. Does our church reflect God's divine order? Are the "measurements" of our doctrine and our practice consistent with the apostolic standard laid down in Scripture? Is there one clear way of entry through the gospel of Jesus Christ, or have we created different doors for different people based on their feelings or our cultural whims?

Are we a church with windows? Do we let the light of Scripture shine into every corner of our lives, and do we let that light shine out into our community? Or have we boarded up the windows, content to practice our faith in a dim, private twilight? Do we call people to ascend? Do we make it clear that following Christ is a call to holiness, a climbing of seven steps, leaving the world below? And are our pillars, our leaders and established members, adorned with the fruit of righteousness? Do people see in us the victory and life of the palm tree, or do they see something withered and barren?

This vision was given to exiles to give them hope. It reminds us that no matter how ruined the visible church may appear at times, no matter how much the world may mock, God's true house is being built according to His perfect and glorious design. He is measuring it, He is adorning it, and He is gathering His people into its spacious courts from the north, the south, the east, and the west.